


We Met When the Year Was Young

by mismatched_ideas



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Meet-Cute, One Shot, Plot light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23754745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mismatched_ideas/pseuds/mismatched_ideas
Summary: When Akaashi met Bokuto it was Spring and he'd just moved to a new city, but that was only the beginning.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60





	We Met When the Year Was Young

**Author's Note:**

> I was feeling sad so I wrote this in 3 hours. I did not edit it. Sorry.

_ <Spring> _

It was Spring and Akaashi had finally moved into his new apartment. In a week he’d be starting his new job. He was finally starting his life in earnest after a year of fruitless job searching. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the grades or the resumé to get jobs, but he was bad at interviews. He got very nervous and overthought things or he wouldn’t think enough and say something blunt and unwanted. 

But, in the end, he’d been able to find a job. It wasn’t his first choice, but it was in his area of study and so he was okay with it. And, considering it wasn’t a top job prospect, he was being paid decently well. If he was honest, the pay made him worried that he was going to be worked extra hard or something. 

But that was a problem for future him, right now he had just finished the week’s grocery shopping and had finally made it back to his apartment building. Just as the elevator doors started to close, someone shouted for him to hold the elevator and, after a moment of wondering if he could just not hit the button, he reopened the doors.

“Thanks!” A young man with gray and black hair smiled at him, a sports bag slung over his shoulder. “I just finished practice and I really didn’t want to walk upstairs.”

“Why not wait for it to come back?” Akaashi asked without question the ease with which this stranger spoke to him. 

“I get antsy,” the man answer. “Oh, can you press five for me?”

Akaashi gestured to the already pressed button.

“Wow, how’d you know?” The man asked, looking like he genuinely assumed Akaashi had guessed his floor number. But, after Akaashi stared at him silently for a few seconds it seemed to click. “Oh! You live on the fifth floor too!” 

“Yes,” Akaashi responded, glancing at the digital floor counter and saw they had just reached the third floor. “I just moved in.” 

“Wow, a new neighbor!” The man’s smile widened as they reached the fourth floor. “I’ll be sure to invite you over next time I have a party.” 

“Oh, you don’t need to do that,” Akaashi told him as the doors opened. “After you.”

“No, I’ll get it,” the man said, putting his arm in the way of the door. “You have bags.” 

“Well, thank you,” Akaashi responded. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too!” 

It was only after he was back in his apartment that Akaashi realized neither of them had introduced themselves. 

-

Akaashi had only been home for about half an hour when someone knocked on his door. He was exhausted, having finally finished his orientation. It had been a lot of information given in what seemed like the most boring way possible and so he’d nearly fallen asleep more than once. But, it was all important information so he did his best to listen, take notes, and absorb it all. 

He didn’t think he’d really succeeded at that. 

“Hello?” Akaashi answered after checking through the peephole and finding, to his surprise, the man he’d met in the elevator the other day. 

“Hi! Oh, it’s you,” the man responded, looking surprised. “I realize I never got your name, but now I guess I do.” 

He laughed, but Akaashi just looked at him strangely, not getting the joke. 

“Oh, sorry, I mean, I accidentally got some of your mail,” he explained. “I hope you don’t think I was trying to snoop. I opened it thinking it was mine, but it wasn’t. Then I checked the address and saw they had the wrong room number.” He held out the mail, continuing to speak even though he didn’t need to. “I was so shocked because it was a bill for something I’d never even bought and it freaked me out. Then I saw the name was wrong and got confused. Then I saw the number and realized that they must have seen 515 and 505 and just looked at the fives.”

“Umm,” Akaashi tried to interrupt, but he continued. 

“So, really, I don’t want you to think I’m a weirdo who opens other people’s mail. I just really didn’t even think about it maybe not being mine, ya know?”

“Hey!” Akaashi shouted, finally getting the man’s attention. “This isn’t mine.”

“Huh?” the man blinked a few times. “Really?”

“My name isn’t Nakano,” Akaashi said before pointing to the number on his door. “And I don’t live in 515, I live in 516.” 

The man looked between Akaashi and his door number for a long time before he reached out and took back the mail, looking horrified. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, his face red. “Umm, well, goodbye.” 

Before Akaashi could stop him, the man dashed down the hallway, ignoring 515 completely and leaving Akaashi with no way to assure this stranger that it was totally okay that he’d made the mistake. 

After all, they’d only met twice and Akaashi already found him to be a charming young man.

\---

_ <Summer> _

Akaashi had been going to the same coffee shop since he started his new job in April, but now, in June, they’d moved locations to the other side of the city, leaving him without access to his much needed and much-loved caffeine. So, he had to find another coffee shop to go to and that how he found the small, but popular shop halfway between the bus stop and his office. 

It wasn’t ideal for a coffee break, but he could get away with drinking the terrible coffee at his office since what it lacked in flavor, it made up for in caffeine-content. Instead, he made it his morning and lunchtime coffee stop. In the morning, it made sense since it was on this way to work. As for lunch, it was a good workout and forced him to get out of the office. 

As he stepped sleepily into line one morning, Akaashi was surprised to hear a familiar voice. 

“An iced mocha latté, please. Medium with extra whipped cream.” 

Akaashi blinked the sleep out of his eyes and tapped Bokuto on the shoulder. 

“Bokuto, good morning.” 

“Oh, Akaashi!” Bokuto turned, eyes wide and bright even though it was so early. “Good morning!” 

After their awkward second encounter, Akaashi had gone to Bokuto’s apartment—he knew it was 505 thanks to his speech about wrong room numbers—to introduce himself. They hadn’t become best friends or anything, but when they ran into each other in the elevator or the hallway, they would chat a little. Akaashi found Bokuto to be a kind, pleasant person and he didn’t mind talking to him. 

“I didn’t know you came to this part of the city,” Akaashi replied.

“I don’t usually come over here so early, but I had to switch shifts this week.” 

“I didn’t know your job was over here,” Akaashi told him before pointing to the cashier. “You should pay.” 

Bokuto laughed and pulled out his wallet, counting out the money and pausing, looking horrified. 

“Bokuto?” Akaashi asked, leaning over. 

“I emptied my wallet last night and I have no coins, but I forgot to get money out this morning,” Bokuto said, sounding like his world was ending. “I’m 50 yen short.”

Akaashi chuckled and pulled out his wallet, getting the necessary change and adding it to Bokuto’s total. 

“There, that wasn’t so tough.” 

“Ah, thank you, Akaashi.”

“It’s just a little bit of money, don’t worry about it,” Akaashi insisted. 

“Still, thank you!” 

Akaashi gave Bokuto a slight smile before placing his own order and wishing Bokuto a good day. 

The next day, he found a cute thank you card in his mailbox and it made Akaashi smile wider than he had in a while. 

-

On his lunch break today, Akaashi decided to head to a nearby park and enjoy the weather. Despite it being summer, the humidity had disappeared for the day, giving the city a reprieve from the repressive heat it usually experienced in the summer. A nice breeze and a few clouds added to the mix made it a perfect day to sit in the park and eat lunch. 

As he ate, Akaashi was surprised to catch sight of Bokuto buying ice cream from a vendor nearby. Akaashi smiled at the happy look on Bokuto’s face as he walked away. He stood and started to head over to Bokuto, planning to say hello when he watched as Bokuto tried to lick his ice cream and the entire thing fell onto the floor. Even from far away, Akaashi could see the look of horror and sadness on Bokuto’s face. 

Before he could think about it, Akaashi hurried over the ice cream vendor and asked for two of the ice cream Bokuto had bought. 

“Bokuto!” Akaashi called out, jogging after Bokuto, who seemed to have given up on the day and was heading toward the entrance. “Hey, Bokuto!” 

Bokuto turned, shock on his face when he saw Akaashi. 

“Akaashi, I didn’t expect to see you here!” 

“Me neither,” Akaashi agreed, slowing down in front of Bokuto. “But we do both work around here.”

“I guess you’re right.” Bokuto looked at Akaashi’s full hands curiously. “Hungry?” 

“One’s for you,” Akaashi said, putting his hand out so Bokuto could grab one of the ice creams. “I hope you don’t mind.” 

“Of course not!” Bokuto looked shocked and maybe a little confused. “How’d you– Oh, you saw me drop the other one?” 

“Maybe, maybe not,” Akaashi responded, reaching out farther, insisting Bokuto take the ice cream. “Maybe I just accidentally bought two.”

Bokuto smiled and took the ice cream. “You know, I don’t think you can accidentally buy two ice creams.”

“Says you,” Akaashi smiled back at Bokuto. “If you have some time, why don’t we sit down and eat these? I still have about forty minutes left in my lunch break.” 

Bokuto’s smile widened, his eyes regaining their glimmer as he nodded. 

“Of course, I always have time for you!” 

Akaashi would be lying if he said those words didn’t make his heart skip a beat. 

\---

_ <Fall> _

Akaashi couldn’t believe he let his coworkers convince him to come out to a bar after work when he knew the two of them would end up disappearing together. He knew they were dating even though they hadn’t told anyone and anytime they got drunk together, they would disappear, only to send an apology text the next day with some half-assed excuse about where they’d gone without telling anyone. 

Nobody was fooled, least of all Akaashi. 

Still, he let them convince him to go out, so it was kind of his own fault that he was now along in a crowded bar. The bar was already decorated for Halloween even though it was barely halfway through September and the dark colors of the holiday made the bar seem even more crowded than it was. 

So, Akaashi was unsurprised when someone stepped hard on his heel, pulling off his shoe and probably taking some skin off the back of his ankle. He shouted out in pain without thinking, turning to face the person who’d stepped on him, the two of them facing each other at the same time and with the same surprised look.

“Akaashi?”

“Bokuto?” 

Akaashi chuckled, not sure how they managed to run into each other more and more as the year went on. In Spring, they’d chatted in their apartment. In Summer, they’d started running into each other in the area where both their jobs were. Now, apparently, they were even going to start running into each other when they were in a place far from their jobs and apartments. 

Not that Akaashi minded seeing Bokuto more. 

“Oh my god, did I step on you?” Bokuto asked, remembering why they’d turned in the first place. “I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s fine, just help me find my shoe,” Akaashi said, laughing when Bokuto’s eyes widened. “I’m kidding, my heel just came out of my shoe, it’s fine.” 

“Still, I’m sorry,” Bokuto said. “I hope it didn’t hurt too much… Oh, I know, I’ll buy you a drink as repayment!” 

“You don’t need–”

“Let me, please,” Bokuto pleaded. 

“Okay, okay,” Akaashi smiled. “You can buy me a drink. Do you need to tell your friends where you’re going?”

“Actually, my friends just disappeared,” Bokuto complained. “They always do this to me. They’re probably making out behind the bar or something.”

“I’m in the same boat,” Akaashi explained as they slowing made their way toward the bar. “My coworkers always run off together when they get drunk.” 

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to spend time together then. We’ll show the four of them and have way more fun.” 

Akaashi laughed, “Okay, sounds good.” 

Bokuto ordered a drink for Akaashi and himself before they both found an empty table, leaning in close to talk to each other. Akaashi wasn’t sure when he last laughed as much as he did talking to Bokuto, but his laughter petered out when he caught sight of someone he knew. Ducking his head, he tried not to look in the person’s direction while still keeping an eye on them. 

“Akaashi? What’s wrong?” Bokuto asked, glancing in the direction of Akaashi’s eyes. 

“It’s my Ex. Shit, he saw me. Fucking hell, I don’t want to deal with this right now.” 

“Your ex? He can’t be that bad,” Bokuto reasoned even as Akaashi’s ex headed over to them a shit-eating grin on his face. “We dated for like three months and he broke up with me because he said he didn’t have enough time to date and do his job. But like he always drunk texts me wanting to get back together– Oh, hey Yamashita, long time no see.”

“No nicknames anymore? Not even my given name?” Yamashita asked, completely ignoring Bokuto. “And, hey, how come you never respond to my texts?” 

“Because I’m not going to be your booty-call, okay?” 

“Hey, it’s not like that,” Yamashita insisted, seeming less genuine than when he drunk texted Akaashi asking him to come over because he seriously wanted to be with him. “We broke up because I didn’t think I was spending enough time with you, but now my workload is lower so we can spend lots of time together. What’s wrong with that?” 

“Yamashita, I’m not interested.”

“Why not?” 

Akaashi clenched his teeth, on the edge of doing something very stupid. 

“Because I’m not interested.” 

“Oh, come on–”

“Not that it should matter since I told you I wasn’t interested,” Akaashi interrupted, “but I’m seeing someone else right now.” 

Yamashita was caught off guard for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at Akaashi. 

“Oh, really?” 

“Yes.”

“Can I see a picture?”

“No need,” Akaashi looked at Bokuto, trying to explain how sorry he was for this. “He’s the guy you’ve been ignoring since you interrupted our evening.” 

Yamashita looked at Bokuto for a long time before turning back to Akaashi. 

“Him? Really?” 

Even though they weren’t dating, Akaashi felt himself getting angry over that comment. Why not Bokuto? He would surely be a great boyfriend. He’d at least be better than Yamashita was. 

“Could you not be an asshole for one minute?” Akaashi asked, narrowing his eyes. “Koutarou is a better boyfriend than you could ever even hope to be. And a better person.” 

“No need to be like that, Keiji,” Yamashita replied. “I’ll give you one more chance. You’re going to regret not getting back together with me.”

“I don’t think I will.” Akaashi glared at Yamashita. “Now, leave.” 

Yamashita stared down Akaashi for a few seconds before huffing and turning to leave, letting Akaashi lean back and let out a long sigh of relief. After a few moments of allowing himself to feel relieved, he remembered the stupid thing he’d just done and his face began to turn red. 

“Bokuto, I’m sorry,” Akaashi said, bowing his head. “I shouldn’t have brought you into that, but I knew he wasn’t going to back down.”

Bokuto seemed to still be in shock as Akaashi spoke, but once he finished, Bokuto let out a loud laugh. Akaashi wasn’t sure what to say, only blinking at him.

“Akaashi, it’s fine. I was just surprised.” His laughter died down a little, but Bokuto was still smiling at Akaashi, a certain fondness in his eyes that Akaashi couldn’t read. “I didn’t mind being your boyfriend for a few minutes.” 

Akaashi’s words caught in his throat, unsure what to respond to that and so he lost his chance to say anything at all. Of course, he wasn’t sure even after what he would have said because it wasn’t like he could tell Bokuto how those words made him feel.

After all, even days later he would still smile when he remembered what Bokuto had said. 

\---

_ <Winter> _

At this point, Akaashi wasn’t surprised when he ran into Bokuto everywhere. 

Today was a cold day and it had been slowing since the late afternoon, the flakes fat and wet. Akaashi was glad he’d thought to bring an umbrella even though he usually didn’t when it snowed. Today, though, it was good because the flakes were the kind that would have easily soaked through his non-waterproof coat. 

He’d stopped at a convenience store to get some cheap coffee when he ran into Bokuto at the door. 

“Bokuto,” Akaashi greeted. “You’re soaked.”

“I didn’t bring an umbrella,” Bokuto explained as they both entered the convenience store. “Well, shit.” 

“Huh?” Akaashi followed Bokuto’s line of sight and saw that where there were normally umbrellas for sale, there was only an empty rack. “Oh.” 

“I guess it’s not too far,” Bokuto murmured. “I’m going to get something hot for the walk.”

“You should,” Akaashi agreed. “But you don’t have to get even more soaked.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’re going back home, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I brought an umbrella,” Akaashi explained, gesturing to the umbrella stand outside the door. “It might not be big enough for both of us, but it’s better than nothing.” 

“If you’re sure.”

“We’re going to the same place,” Akaashi pointed out. “Let’s get something warm to drink.” 

-

In the end, they did both fit under the umbrella, but only when they were pressing their shoulders together. They ended up like that because Bokuto refused to let Akaashi get snowed on due to him and Akaashi had the same thoughts about Bokuto getting snowed on. 

Even though Bokuto was taller, Akaashi held the umbrella, the two of them heading toward their shared bus stop to wait for their ride home. 

“Honestly, I thought it would stop before I left work,” Bokuto said. “I thought I’d be fine.” 

“I wasn’t going to bring mine, but I grabbed it on my way out on a whim,” Akaashi explained. “I’m glad I did.” 

Akaashi was about to say something else when he felt his foot sliding. His stomach dropped as his foot went out from under him, his other foot not ready to catch him. He was getting ready to hit the ground when an arm wrapped around his stomach, knocking the air out of him but keeping him from falling any further. 

“Are you okay?” Bokuto asked, helping him stand upright. “You should be careful! It always gets icy in the winter here.” 

Akaashi took a few breaths then laughed a little, “You’re right, I should be more careful.” 

“I’m serious!” 

“I know,” Akaashi couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just so funny. I’ve never seen someone saved from falling like that. It was like you were trying to stop a volleyball from hitting the ground more than a person.” 

“Hey, don’t laugh!” Bokuto insisted, though there was no heat in his words, just a little playful offense. “It was a reflex!” 

Akaashi leaned into Bokuto’s side, smiling at him. 

“I’m sorry for being mean, thank you for helping me. That would’ve hurt.” 

Bokuto’s cheeks were rosy from the cold, but when Akaashi looked at him, his whole face began to burn red and Akaashi looked away, feeling his face reddening. 

It was still red when they got to the bus stop. 

The snow didn’t seem to want to let up and their stop didn’t have an overhang, so they ended up huddled under Akaashi’s umbrella, both their drinks gone and the cold seeping even further into their bodies. Between Akaashi’s coat being too thin for this weather and Bokuto’s being soaked, they were both shivering after only a few minutes. 

Bokuto pressed closer to Akaashi, one of his hands reaching out to take the umbrella.

“You’re not wearing gloves, Akaashi, let me hold the umbrella.” He wrapped his hand around the umbrella, thought Akaashi hadn’t let go of it, so instead he was simply covering Akaashi’s cold hand with his gloved one. 

“It’s okay,” Akaashi murmured. “It’s not so cold right now.” 

He looked at Bokuto out of the corner of his eyes, not sure if he’d meant that to be flirty even though he was the one who’d said it. 

“If you’re sure,” Bokuto said, not letting go. 

“I’m sure.” 

Akaashi pushed further toward Bokuto, trying to disappear the space between them despite that being impossible while they were both holding the umbrella. 

“I wonder when the bus is coming,” Bokuto said absently, turning his head slowly to look at Akaashi.

“It must be late because of the snow,” Akaashi responded, leaning a little closer to Bokuto. “I hope you’re not too cold.”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Bokuto told him, getting close enough that Akaashi could feel the warmth of his breath, his eyes big and bright and full of a cautious request that Akaashi was all too willing to oblige. 

Akaashi closed the remaining distance between them, killing Bokuto hesitantly for a moment before Bokuto returned the kiss, his other hand reaching around to touch Akaashi’s cheek. Akaashi was glad for Bokuto’s hand on the umbrella too, because otherwise, he might have dropped the umbrella. Akaashi’s free hand groped around for a moment before he caught a handful of Bokuto’s jacket tugging him closer, Bokuto’s cold, wet coat not fazing Akaashi at all. 

The winters in this city were colder than Akaashi was used to, but by the time the bus came, Akaashi found he wasn’t cold anymore.


End file.
